Mr Chen also warned those officials who fail to crush any signs of mass
rebellion face severe punishment for dereliction of duty in protecting their
country.
“For those irresponsible officials who walk away from their duties, fail to
implement policies or are found guilty of dereliction of duty in maintaining
stability, they shall be immediately removed from their posts, pending
punishment, regardless of how great the contributions they made in the past
or what kind of position they held,” Mr Chen warned.
The emotive language and assiduous rhetoric reflects Mr Chen’s growing unease
that his government’s modernisation policies are failing to win over
Tibetans.
Despite improved living conditions and economic empowerment in what China has
long viewed as feudal and poverty stricken society, Tibetans remain
resentful and volatile.
They cite a cultural genocide because of the influx of Han Chinese, the
country’s dominant ethnic community, who in their tens of thousands, are
being encouraged to settle in Tibet and other once remote regions in the
western provinces.
Tibet and regions with Tibetan communities in western China are in lock-down
with armed police and paramilitary officers on the streets of the Sichaun
capital, Chengdu, with scores of garrisons in the area on high alert.
All foreigners are banned from travelling to the region – especially
international journalists, who have yet to confirm most of the reports of
shootings, riots and self immolations, the last of which took place
yesterday.
If confirmed, the incident would bring to at least 18 the number of monks,
nuns and lay Tibetans who have set themselves on fire over the last year.
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